"Squawk!"
(Translation: "I told you! I can’t marry you.")
Jack looked at the female crow standing before him, accompanied by three small crows. Despite his surprise at the situation, he didn’t want to deal with it now.
"Squawk!"
(Translation: "Am I not good enough for you?")
The female crow lowered her eyes, tears welling up. Jack could only sigh. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"Squawk! Squawk!"
(Translation: "It’s not you, it’s me! Don’t feel bad!")
The female crow stopped crying, gathered her chicks under her wings, and looked at Jack. "Squawk!"
(Translation: "But what about my children? Who will help them?")
Jack looked at the little crows. As a human, he wondered how he could explain this to the crow. "Squawk! Squawk!"
(Translation: "I can’t have kids at this age! I’m sorry!")
Jack didn’t want to stay any longer. Taking advantage of the moment when the female crow lowered her head, he suddenly jumped and left.
"Squawk!"
(Translation: "How could he do this to me!")
With her head down, the female crow cried for a while, then looked at her children. "Squawk!"
(Translation: "Don’t worry, my children! I’ll find you a better father!")
Then the female crow went to find worms, her children’s favorite food.
Meanwhile, Jack had easily flown away and perched on a branch. He sighed, "Damn, I was almost a father just now!"
Jack scanned the forest, noting that it was a nice place without any top predators. He used to explore this place in Morrigan’s absence.
Bored, Jack fluffed his wings and, out of frustration, flopped onto his back, spreading his wings on the branch.
"I feel so relaxed..."
Just as Jack was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly felt something envelop him. Realizing what was happening, he found himself entangled in nets.
"What’s going on!"
As he squawked in confusion, he heard some men laughing behind him and turned his head. Recognition flashed in his eyes as he saw who they were. "Aren’t these crow hunters?"
Crow hunters were poachers who used crow feathers to make wool, clothes, and other items. Crow feathers were highly useful for making potions, clothing, and more.
Jack’s eyes narrowed with anger. "How dare you! You can’t trap crows!"
The crow hunters chuckled at this and pulled the net they had thrown over Jack. As Jack felt himself plummeting toward the ground, he used Shadow Manipulation to cut through the net.
Leaping forward with speed, Jack launched a Shadow attack at the eyes of the leading crow hunter, seeking revenge for the crows.
"This damned crow can use magic!"
Before he could say anything more, the shadow spikes that pierced his eyes killed him instantly, and he fell to the ground. Jack quickly flapped his wings and attacked the other men.
"Run! Run!" A bearded man shouted in fear.
"You think I’ll let you escape?" Jack laughed angrily, then activated Dark Transformation.
"Target the most ill-mannered lady among them and be harsh with her."
"You are speaking to the daughter of a Duke, not your friend," Morrigan said. As she gained a smile from the Countess, Vivienne frowned. "Did you receive your education slowly?"
Amara’s smile faltered as she apologized. "I apologize, Lady Morrigan. Please excuse my rudeness..."
Morrigan smiled. "Make sure you improve at home."
Amara quickly nodded, and the Countess smiled. Just as she was about to speak, another person entered.
Looking at the arriving Lady, Morrigan realized who it was. It was Duchess Juliet, wife of Duke Louis of Orkney. A woman with wavy blonde hair and hazel eyes, who, despite being 45 years old, looked as young and beautiful as if she were 30.
"I was worried you started without me, but it seems my worries were unnecessary..." The Duchess’s gentle voice initially reminded Morrigan of Marcus.
The Countess, who greeted the Duchess, managed to maintain a smile, though it had faded slightly. "You have arrived just in time, Lady Juliet."
"It seems so," said Lady Juliet, and then her eyes fell on Morrigan. She smiled slyly. "You look so much like your mother, Lady Morrigan."
Morrigan’s eyebrows furrowed, but she managed to smile. "Is that so? I didn’t know..."
Lady Juliet chuckled and said, "I knew your mother. She could be unbearable at times, but she was a good friend."
Despite her furrowed brows, Morrigan remained silent. Viscountess Vivienne intervened. "Lady Juliet, your dress suits you very well. Did you just have it made?"
Lady Juliet nodded, crafting a polite but fake smile on her face. "After all, we have the best tailors in the kingdom. Not like the amateurs."
Lady Juliet’s mocking tone caused the Countess to purse her lips. Catriona understood that the Duchess of Orkney was mocking her but remained silent.
Finally, the Duchess’s gaze shifted to Baroness Amara, showing disdain and contempt before quickly masking it with a gentle smile. "How is the Baron, Lady Amara? After all, he is 60 years old. He could die at any moment."
The Baroness fidgeted nervously, seeming accustomed to the Duchess of Orkney’s remarks, unlike Morrigan.
Yet, she managed to smile slightly. "I take good care of him, Lady Juliet..."
The Duchess chuckled, bringing her hand to her mouth and resting her chin on her fingers. "I see, continue serving him well, in every way..."
Vivienne did not find the Duchess’s thinly veiled comment amusing, but since she couldn’t say anything, she simply remained silent.
"I believe our topic was not the Baron, Lady Juliet."
The Duchess shot Morrigan a disapproving look. Morrigan continued, "Your son is very successful, I must say he takes after you..."
Hearing Marcus’s name, Lady Juliet was angered by his disgraceful reputation, but she quickly forced herself to smile. "Despite his failures, he has a supportive family behind him..."
"After all, every mother and father loves their children."
Despite Morrigan’s narrowed eyes, Lady Juliet teased her. Morrigan replied, "If he cries ’Mother’ at every problem, then it is fortunate for him..."
"After all, he has a family behind him."
As the tense exchange between the two women continued for a while longer, the Countess could only watch them with a strained smile.
Hearing the sound of high heels, the Countess was pleased to see that the person arriving was Duchess Elowen Stormwind of the Stormwind Duchy, one of the four Duchies of the Kingdom.
With silver hair, gray eyes, and tall stature, Elowen’s arrival made Duchess Juliet lose interest in continuing the argument with Morrigan and she greeted Lady Elowen.
"It’s lovely to see you, Lady Elowen."
"It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Lady Juliet?" Lady Elowen smiled, wearing much fewer jewels and accessories than the other women.
The Stormwind Duchy, a territory constantly involved in wars and raids, was located on the border with the Wargan lands. This Duchy, always ready for battle, was entirely built around war.
Neither the Duke nor the Duchess was exempt from this.
As Elowen entered, the other Ladies began arriving as well, signaling that the tea party was almost about to start.